Mononuclear phagocytes (blood monocytes and tissue macrophages) have cell surface receptors for the Fc domain of IgG antibody. These receptors (FC.gamma.R) mediate humoral immune effector functions including phagocytosis, clearance of immune complexes and antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity. Three classes of Fc.gamma. receptors have been identified on human cells and characterized on the basis of size, primary structure, binding affinity for IgG subclasses, and recognition by monoclonal antibodies: Fc.gamma.RI (CD64), Fc.gamma.RII (CD32), and Fc.gamma.RIII (CD16). Fc.gamma.RI is a high affinity receptor, expressed on resting mononuclear phagocytes and stimulated neutrophils. Fc.gamma.RII and Fc.gamma.RIII are low affinity receptors found on a range of hematopoietic cells, including monocytes arid macrophages. Macrophages express all three receptor classes while monocytes express primarily Fc.gamma.RI and Fc.gamma.RII.
All three classes of human Fc.gamma. receptors have been isolated and cloned (Allen arid Seed, Science 243:378 (1989); Hibbs et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85:2240 (1988); and J. Exp. Med. 166:1668 (1987)). At least two genes code for the Fc.gamma.RI class of receptors (van de Winkle et al, FASEB J. 5:A964(1991)), three genes code for the Fc.gamma.RII class (designated Fc.gamma.RIIA, Fc.gamma.RIIB and Fc.gamma.RIIC) (Brooks et al, J. Exp. Med. 170:369 (1989); Stuart et al, EMBO J. 8:3657 (1989); Qui et al, Science 248:732 (1990)) and two genes code for the Fc.gamma.RIII receptor class (Simmons and Seed, Nature 333:568 (1988)).
Macrophage Fc.gamma. receptors participate in the clearance of IgG-coated particulate and soluble antigens, including IgG-coated microorganisms, and thereby remove potentially dangerous foreign organisms. Due to their importance in host defense, functional integrity of Fc.gamma. receptors has been studied in connection with various disease states, including autoimmune disorders (Frank et al, Ann. Intern. Med. 98:206 (1983); Kimberley and Ralph, Am. J. Med. 74:481 (1983)) and end-stage renal disease (Ruiz et al, N. Engl. J. Med. 322:717 (1990)). Macrophage Fc.gamma. receptor function has been found to be decreased in patients with certain HLA haplotypes and in patients with the immune disorders systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome and dermatitis herpetiformis (this observation was attributed to occupation of these receptors on the macrophages by immune complexes). In end-stage renal disease, macrophage Fc.gamma. receptor function has been found to be impaired and this impairment is believed to contribute to the observed immunodepression among such patients.
Various diseases, non-bacterial in origin, are associated with a high incidence of complications due to infection. Examples of such diseases include the above-noted end-stage renal disease (Goldblum and Reed, Ann. Intern. Med. 93:597 (1980); Lahnborg et al, Transplantation 28:111 (1979); Drivas et al, Invest. Urol. 17:241 (1979); Keane and Raij, In: Drukkar et al eds. Replacement of Renal Function by Dialysis, 2nd ed., pp. 646-58 (1983)), acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (Bender et al, J. Infect. Disease 152:409 (1985), Smith et al, J. Clin. Invest. 74:2121 (1984)), liver disease (Rimola, In: McIntyre et al eds Oxford Textbook of Clinical Hepatology, pp. 1272-84 (1991)) and diseases of the lung, including cystic fibrosis (Gomez and Schreiber, unpublished observations) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (Rossman et al, Clin. Res. 41:251A (1993)). Defective Fc.gamma. receptor-dependent clearance has been observed in certain of these diseases. Thus, there is a clear need for methods that can be used to correct defective Fc.gamma. receptor function and/or enhance functional Fc receptor expression and thereby stimulate host defense. The present invention provides such methods and compounds and compositions suitable for use therein.